Mini's WRC tease

There have been plenty of rumours in the motorsport world that BMW will build a WRC version of the new Countryman.
However, despite numerous sources insisting that the deal was done and cars will be prepared by Prodrive in the UK, nothing concrete has been confirmed.

It’s true to say that Aaltonen has been with BMW’s Driver Training for decades. But the fact he was rolled out to drive with us in the Countryman unveil speaks volumes.

I had a few laps with Aaltonen in the passenger seat, and he was keen to demonstrate the Countryman ALL4’s extraordinary electronic counter measure, which will virtually keep the car on the road no matter how poor the driver.

I wonder what a driver of his standing must think of electronic chassis controls that actually allow the Countryman to slide gently in hard cornering, flattering driver ability enormously.

At one point he said to me, ‘Go just throw the car around like you don’t know what you’re doing’.

Honestly Rauno, by comparison, I don’t. I come from the ESP and DSC generation. You, however, are from an era when driving skills were on another level altogether.